Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm looking at plumbing up 4 very large grow beds and as I was wandering through the store I noticed 4" flexi pipe, it's kinda like the corrugated drainage pipes but more flexible with the characteristic of the bendi part of a bendi straw.

Anyway, it seems that or the corrugated solid drainage pipe might be a convenient and low cost way to drain back to the pond/tank from the grow beds. Are there any major pitfalls to doing it this way? If so, what?

only pitfalls I have had with bendy pipe, is that it's not straight.... well duh! But what I mean is, each bump in my uneven ground allows a small area for air to pocket. This slowed my drain considerably.
If you go large enough (unlike my 25mm first experiment) it will probably not be such a problem

Kuda,
You were also running a kinda long distance drain line too right?

I'm looking at going with the 4" black corrugated drainage stuff or the 4" flexi stuff. I know a fair bit of gunk will stick in the pipe but am hoping that since it is the drain after the Grow Beds that it won't be such a huge issue.

I'm hoping that I can make the longest run less than 25'

yeah I was, 15 metres+

4" black pipe has quite a large surface area.
It might act as a solar collector in summer heating the return water to the tank..great for the winter though

I guess I'd just have to make sure they were not exposed to too much direct sun. That is a good point to keep in mind, perhaps I should get some of the bright white drainage fabric to cover the pipes where they are out in the open.
Of course now I'm having some other thoughts about what I should do with the drain lines (or more specifically the extra water I need to keep the pond/tank from fluctuating too much.)